Recently, I was shelf-reading in the juvenile fiction collection in the Central Library’s Children’s Room when I happened across two books by Paul Shipton. Both had the word “pig” in their titles, and I think that one word is what grabbed my attention.

Book the first, The Pig Scrolls by Gryllus the Pig is a translation of an ancient Greek manuscript written by Gryllus, a talking pig who was once a man, and which opens the door to book the second, The Pig Who Saved the World by Gryllus the Pig, equally as entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny as the first. Did I mention that Gryllus can talk? And recite limericks? “There once was a merry young Spartan. But trouble he always was startin’. The friends that he had, Said the smell was so bad, Because he just couldn’t stop______” (Book the first, The Pig Scrolls, p. 33)

Do you remember your Greek mythology? Do you know who Odysseus was? Did you ever think Greek myths were boring? Well! You certainly won’t when you pick up these two titles and read about a Greek myth turned upside down. Couple the usual gods and goddesses with monsters, transformed humans, humor and danger and you have a pair of winning stories that will appeal to all ages from grade 3 to adult. Great read-aloud choices, too.

Book

The Pig Who Saved the World by Gryllus the Pig

Recently, I was shelf-reading in the juvenile fiction collection in the Central Library’s Children’s Room when I happened across two books by Paul Shipton. Both had the word “pig” in their titles, and I think that one word is what grabbed my attention.

Book the first, The Pig Scrolls by Gryllus the Pig is a translation of an ancient Greek manuscript written by Gryllus, a talking pig who was once a man, and which opens the door to book the second, The Pig Who Saved the World by Gryllus the Pig, equally as entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny as the first. Did I mention that Gryllus can talk? And recite limericks? “There once was a merry young Spartan. But trouble he always was startin’. The friends that he had, Said the smell was so bad, Because he just couldn’t stop______” (Book the first, The Pig Scrolls, p. 33)

Do you remember your Greek mythology? Do you know who Odysseus was? Did you ever think Greek myths were boring? Well! You certainly won’t when you pick up these two titles and read about a Greek myth turned upside down. Couple the usual gods and goddesses with monsters, transformed humans, humor and danger and you have a pair of winning stories that will appeal to all ages from grade 3 to adult. Great read-aloud choices, too.